Bedstead foe invalids



(No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 1.

AQlVLDOUGLAS.

BEDSTBAD FOR mums.

No. 572,529. Patented Dec. 8, 1896.

(NoModeL) 4 Sheets-Sheet 24 A. M. DOUGLAS.

BEDSTBAD FOR INVALIDS.

No. 572,529. Patented Dec. 8, 1896.

FIG. 7.

Fl G. 3

FIG. 4

F IG 5 FIG. 2.

FIG. 8.

FIG. 6.

(No Model.) 4 Sheets-Shdgt 3.

. A. M; DOUGLAS.

BEDSTEAD FOR INVALIDS.

No. 572,529. Patented Dec. 8, 1896.

' 4 Sheets-$11661; 4.

A. M. DOUGLAS. BBDSTEAD FOR INVALIDS.

(No Model.)

No. 572,529. Patented Dec. 8, 1896'.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ANNA MARIE DOUGLAS, OF LEAMINGTON, ENGLAND.

BEDSTEAD FOR INVALIDS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 572,529, dated December8, 1896. Application filed January 29, 1896. Serial No. 577,322. (Nomodel.) Patented in England April 19, 1895, No. 7,842.

To (ZZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ANNA MARIE DOUGLAS,

a subject of the Queen of Great Britain, re-

siding at Dalkeith House, Leamington, in the county of Varwick',England, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Bedsteadsfor Invalids and in the Appliances Connected Therewith, of which thefollowingis a specification.

The invention has been patented in England, No. 7,842, April 19, 1895.

My invention has for its object improve ments in 'bedsteads for invalidsand in the appliances connected therewith, by which means the moving ofinvalids is facilitated during the changing or'removal of themattresses, linen, or other parts and in lifting and attending to thepatient. 7

My invention further consists in the facilities for its conversion intoan operating-table for the time being, thus avoiding the necessity andconsequent risk in removing the patient from the bed to a separateoperating-table, and which is effected in a convenient and expeditiousmanner by the bedstead mechanism.

In order that my invention may be clearly understood and more easilycarried into practieal efiect, I have appended hereunto four sheets ofdrawings upon which both the bed-- stead and the operating-table areillustrated along with the various parts and necessary mechanism foroperating the same. It will,

however, be understood that the designs of the details, such, forinstance, as the rollers,

the ratchets, pawls, &c., may be made without departing from the generalprinciple of the invention.

Figure 1 is a general view of the bedstead with the various parts inposition and the divided sheet S S raised somewhat above the mattress'M.Fig. 2is a broken-01f elevation of the outside of the left-hand end ofthe bedstead. Fig. 3 is a broken-off elevation of the inside of theright-hand end of the bedstead. Fig. 4 is a broken-0E inside view of thewinding arrangement of the rollers R upon which the sheet S is tightenedand held. Fig. 5 is a broken-off inside view of the winding=drun1 gearfor lifting the sheet S. Figs.

6 and 7 are views of the right and left hand sliding sockets forcarrying the rollers R and rod '1'.

Fig. 8 is a sectional plan ofthe slid ing socket Fig. 6. Fig. 9 isasectional plan of the sliding socket Fig. 7 Fig. 10 is a general viewof the bedstead with the operatingtable T mounted on the bedstead. Fig.11 is a side elevation of the roller R brokenout in two places to showthe slot-holes 1*", which are made for convenience of manufacture. Fig.12 is a cross-section of the roller B through the line 1 2, with thesheet S fastened upon the same. Fig.1?! shows the arm I), which is hungupon-the bedstead sideB in its turnedup position for operating thesheets S S. Fig. 14 is an end diagram of the arm I) as used to operateboth the sheets S and S from one side. Fig. 15 is a view of theremovable leg L for supporting the operating-table T. 16 shows one modeof mounting the frictionrollers c on the device 0. Fig. 17 isabrokenoffplan of the device 0. Fig. 18 shows another method for revolving thedrum 1) and shows the-sheets S and S so adjusted as to enable thepatient to maintain a half-sitting posture. Fig. 21 shows another methodfor supporting the table T.

In carrying my invention into effect I form the bedstead with preferablyfour substantial posts and in such manner or proportions that either endmay be used as the head or foot. mount attachments or sliding sockets AA, which differ from each other, each socket A carrying rollers R R,provided with hand wheels W for tightening the sheets upon the rollers.These rollers R and R are shown clearly by Figs. lland 12 and are castcomplete and hollow, as there seen, the openings 1'? serving ascore-holes in the casting, but when in work they are covered by thesheets. The groove 1' runs along the opposite side and the ratchet-wheelr is placed in the mold and is one with the rollers as well as the spindles r though it will be evident that these rollers may be made fromwrought tubes, timber, or other material. Each of these rollers isprovided with a ratchet-wheel P, which is engaged by a pawl, as shown atFig.

4, which securesthe roller against turning Fig.

Upon each of the posts or pillars I- ICO the sockets A are mounted. Imay, however, use in place of the wheels W- and W other mechanical meansfor revolving the rollers R R and drum D, hereinafter described, such,for instance, as the worm V and wheel V, as shown in Fig. 18. Thesockets A also carry friction-rolls on the spindles a and a and thesockets A also carry friction-rolls a and a, which allow the sockets tomove upon the bedposts B .B B B with great ease, but I may use socketswithout friction-rollers, the sockets embracing and sliding loosely onthe bedposts B. It will be evident that one roller R at one end willanswer the same'purpose with simply a bar to take the place of roller R,but I prefer the double arrangement shown. The ends of the straps orwebbing or other equivalents E are fastened to the rods 0*, which aresecured at their ends to sockets A and A, and these form the medium forlifting the sockets and sheets S. These straps E pass upward and overfriction-rollers O, which are hung upon the device C. (Shown in greaterdetail at Figs. 16 and 17.) The strap E then passes down the outside ofone end, as seen at Fig. 2, and over the rollers 19 b which are carriedby the cross-bar I)", carried by the legs B The straps E then pass underthe bedstead and are secured to the winding-drum D. At the end of thebedstead, and preferably the foot end where the drum Dis mounted, thestraps E merely pass downward from the frictionrolls 0 and are alsofastened to the drum D. This drum D is mounted in brackets secured tothe legs B of the bedstead, and at one or both ends of the drum ahandwinding-wheel is mounted with ratchet and pawl P, as clearly seen atFig. 5. The legs B. are stiffened by struts 1'), running to the bedsteadsides B, as considerable strain is brought upon that portion of thebedstead.

The action is as follows: The double or divided sheet S S is made toreceive a rod 8, Fig. 12, at one or both ends. This rod secures thesheet when dropped into the recess r of the roller R. The roller is thenturned about one lap and the sheet is tightened by the handwheel WV orby the arrangement shown in Fig. 18. This having been done the sheetwith the patient thereon may be easily lifted or lowered by means of thelarger wheel NV and drum D.

The sheet is preferably formed in two parts S and S, as shown upon thedrawings. In either case the sheet or the sheets may be divided by twotapes b 12, attached to the edges, as shown at the diagrams, Figs. 13and 14. One end may pass over the swivelbracket 1), which when not inuse turns under the bedstead, as seen at Fig. 1. In Fig. 19 onetape-bracket b is shown on each side of the mattress M, the tape 1)passing between the sheet S S and mattress M. By making the part b of btelescopic, so as to geta certain amount of vertical adjustment, thesheet S S may be so adjusted as to allow the patient to recline in ahalf-sitting or other convenient posture, as shown at Fig- 20, thewebbing carried by the brackets b b on each side of the mattress passingunder the knees of the patient. Instead of making I) telescopic I mayhinge a flap or bracket 19 onto 7), as shown by dotted lines in Fig. 14.The slit sheet or sheet S S in two widths is very important inconjunction with the lifting arrangement described, as it enables thenurse to apply any appliance or utensil to the patient between the sheetand the mattress by simply drawing the tapes b and Z).

When it is desired to operate upon the bedstead, the patient is raisedto a sufficient elevation by means of the large hand-wheel \V and themattress M is Withdrawn, when four legs L are mounted upon the sides B,upon which the table T is supported, when the patient is loweredthereupon or the table T may be supported by clips or brackets U, hungupon the rollers R and R, as seen at Fig. 21, one at each corner of thebedstead.

loosened and removed during the operation, orthey may remain with asupplemental waterproof sheet between the sheets S and the patient.

The operating-table is shown at Fig. 10 with the winding meehanisnrleftoff. By having buckles on the straps E at e and e the drum D may be madeto elevate either the foot or head only when one or the other twobuckles are unloosed, or the elevation of each end may be by this meansvaried, so that the patient lies on an inclined plane. In this case afoot-rest may be formed for the patient by moving the brackets 12 withthe stretched webbing-tape or such like material to the desired end ofthe rails B to suit the position of the patient. To remove or change thesheets S S, it is only necessary to unwind the rollers R and R, takingout the rods 5, and then folding them under, as is Well understood bynurses. In case of the divided sheets S S one of them may be removedwhile the patient is on the other. The rollers R and B may be fixedoutside the posts B instead of inside, as shown. The bedstead itselfmaybe of any convenient form and design.

What I claim, then, is

1. In combination, the bedstead, the verticallymovable bearing-boxes,the rollers journaled therein, the sheet connected to said rollers, awinding-drum, and connections between said drum and the bearing-boxes ofthe rollers for raising and lowering the same, substantially asdescribed.

7 2. In combination with the posts of a bedstead, the sockets sliding onsaid posts, rollers carried by said sockets, a sheet connected to saidrollers, cross-rods connecting the sock-- ets, a winding-drum and tapesrunning from the drum to said cross-rods, substantially as described.

3. In combination, the bedstead, the sliding bearing-boxes at each endthereof, the

' This being done the sheets S and S may be rollers journaled in saidbearing-boxes, the

sheet connected to said bearing-rollers atthe top ofeach end of thebedstead, a drum beneath one end, bearing-rollers beneath the oppositeend and tapes connected to said drum and extending over saidbearing-rollers and connected with the bearing-boxes, sub-i stantiallyas described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I affix my name in thepresence of two IO witnesses. I

ANNA MARIE DOUGLAS.

Vitnesses GEORGE LESTER, GEORGE BARKER.

